Ive just had the following email from our local PC Paul Tutthill himself. He has asked me to put the following up in response to the points made. Many thanks Paul, always delighted to add anything you want at anytime.
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A number of points have been made in this thread, so hopefully the following information answers most, if not all of them.
I'm aware of the problems associated with people drinking alcohol in the town centre area and continue to do what I can to combat these issues. There have also been extra police officers around just lately, as well as my usual Police Community Support Officer colleagues.
As Peter mentioned in his post, the offence relating to drinking in public is not the drinking of alcohol in the first place. An offence only occurs when a person fails to comply with a requirement made by an officer to stop and/or to surrender the drink within a designated public place (DPP). Should the person fail to comply with the requirement, then depending on the circumstances the person can be dealt with by the issuing of a £50 fixed penalty notice, they can be reported for summons, or they can be arrested. The majority of people do comply with the requirement, however I have taken - and will continue to take - enforcement action against those that don't.
For more information on the local DPP (including a map of the areas it covers), have a look at
http://www.dover.gov.uk/community/community_safety/community_safety/community_safety_unit/designated_public_places.aspx
Just to briefly cover another of the points made... while we will of course attend incidents if we are called to them, there are many more matters that are dealt with during the routine patrolling of areas. In the case of public drinking, the majority of requirements to stop drinking and to surrender alcohol are made without any call being placed to police at all.
If there are any other policing matters relating to the town centre that anyone wants to have a chat with me about, or you'd like to discuss the alcohol consumption issue any further, please feel free to phone me on 01304 218110. If I'm not in the office, leave your number and I'll call you back.
Best wishes
PC Paul Tutthill
Neighbourhood Police Constable for the Castle and Town and Pier wards
